The Esau Syndrome

The Esau Syndrome

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

— Luke 6:45

 

It has been said that in an average day, from morning to night, we speak enough words to fill a book of about 50 or 60 pages. In an average year, our words could fill 100 books consisting of 200 pages.

But I don't think it is necessarily a good thing to say so much, because the Bible says we will be held accountable for everything we say. Jesus said, "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak" (Matthew 12:36).

God Is Not Mocked

God Is Not Mocked

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap"

— Galatians 6:7

 

The Bible tells us that one of the signs of the last days is that people will go out of their way to blaspheme God. That will be a distinguishing characteristic of the Antichrist, whom the Scripture says will blaspheme God. Even as God's judgment is falling on nonbelievers during the Tribulation, Revelation 16:9 says, "And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory."

Blasphemy represents the conscious denouncing and rejection of God. It is a defiant irreverence, the sin of intentionally and openly speaking evil against God. To commit this sin does not merely represent unbelief, but determined unbelief.

Loving the Dark And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. — John 3:19

Loving the Dark

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

— John 3:19

 

The Pharisees did not doubt Jesus because they merely disagreed with Him. They doubted Jesus because they were hardened against him.

Doubt is a matter of the mind. Even Christians have moments of doubt. We don't always understand what God is doing or why He is doing it. Unbelief, in contrast, is a matter of the will. It is a choice we make.

The Pharisees were full of unbelief. They did not reject Jesus for lack of evidence or because He was not consistent with what He said. The fact is that Jesus was the perfect example. Even Pontius Pilate, who had examined countless people, said, "I find no fault in this Man" (Luke 23:4), and "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person" (Matthew 27:24). Judas Iscariot, who spent three, concentrated years with Jesus and even betrayed Him said, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4). So Jesus clearly was a model of everything that He said.

A Dangerous Place

A Dangerous Place

But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."

— Matthew 12:24

 

The Pharisees were men who had dedicated their lives to the study of Scripture. They took a solemn vow before three witnesses to spend every moment of their lives obeying the Ten Commandments. That is not to say they succeeded, because clearly they did not. But that is at least what they tried to do. And with a few exceptions, such as Nicodemus, these Pharisees—these religious experts—had hard hearts.

What is ironic is they spent their time studying the Scriptures. These men, immersed in such a spiritual endeavor, had hearts that were so hard, they attributed to the devil that which was being done by God.

God's Eraser

God's Eraser

"For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You."

— Psalm 86:5

 

From Genesis to Revelation, it is clear that we have a forgiving God. He described himself to Moses in this way: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin . . . " (Exodus 34:6–7).

David wrote, "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You" (Psalm 86:5).

Micah, reflecting on this great truth, said, "He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths